Tiffany?” Aiden shook his head.
The ever-beautiful black eyeball of the lady he loved had turned into red.
Blood. Red.
“Jesus…” Tiffany sighed and shook her head vigorously in disbelief.
“I… I…”
“Guys!” Came the loud voice of Tiffany.
Aiden widened his eyes, rushed towards Tiffany, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into a hug, her face buried in his chest.
“Y… You came back so early,” Aiden stammered and forced a smile.
“Apparently, the dean is not on her seat,” Declan rolled his eyes and walked slowly behind Zoey.
“Wait, are we interrupting something?” She winked her brow mischievously at Aiden.
“Uhm… No,” Aiden cleared his throat.
“Did you guys kiss? It looks like she’s embarrassed from the kiss thinking we caught you,” Declan raised a brow.
“T… That’s not it. S… She’s just… Uhm…” Aiden shook his head at his loss for the right words.
Fûck, this wasn’t happening!
For now, he needs to keep it from them, especially Declan who knows nothing about Tiffany.
God, he can’t believe how much he is trembling at the moment.
“Tiffy baby, what’s wrong?” Zoey creased her brow.
Even know they kissed, she shouldn’t be embarrassed about it.
Seeing how deeply she buried her face in Aiden’s chest, she couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened during those minutes they were away.
“There’s nothing wrong,” Aiden answered instead.
“Tiffany could give me an answer. Did something happen?” Zoey snapped.
“She’s just embarrassed. S… She kissed me first,” Aiden chuckled nervously.
“For real?!” Zoey widened her eyes.
“Yeah. She’s so embarrassed to look at me right now,” Aiden smiled.
“Come on, babe, things happen! So, are you guys a thing now?” Zoey danced in excitement.
“Hmm, we’ll tell you that later,” Aiden smiled and caress Tiffany’s hair slowly.
“Tiffany, raise your head already,” Zoey frowned.
“Can you guys leave here, please?” Aiden asked.
“What?” Zoey creased her brow.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning on fûcking each other here,” Declan raised a brow.
“W… We just need a moment together, for a while,” Aiden nodded his head.
“You just started dating and you’re being secretive already. Huh,” Zoey rolled her eyes and turned to leave.
“Wait for me,” Declan rushed after her.
After Aiden was sure they had left, he let go of her slowly, raised her chin, and bore his eyes into the eyes that still had not changed color.
“H… How did this happen?” he frowned.
“I… I don’t know,” Tiffany shook her head as a drop of tears fell from her eyes.
“Let’s get out of here first. We can’t risk people seeing you this way,” Aiden grabbed her hand and prepared to walk away with her.
“Where are we going? I… You should just leave,” Tiffany shook her head.
“And leave you alone here? Just… You know what?” he shook his head, and then hurriedly pull off his hoodie.
He dropped it on her head, and then tied it by her neck, making it look like she tied a scarf.
“Just follow my step, okay?” he stared at her.
After she had nodded her head in affirmation, he curled his left hand around her neck, pulled her head closer to his chest, and began to walk slowly towards the door that was going to lead them out of the rooftop.
==
“Those two are making me nervous,” Zoey bit her lower lips as she stared at the staircase.
“Come on, it’s their first day as a couple. They probably needed the space,” Declan nudged her gently.
“Huh, you think so? Tiffany is not the type to be so embarrassed about a kiss to the extent of burying her face on his chest,” Zoey shook her head.
“Huh, just because she’s so strong doesn’t mean she couldn’t be soooo embarrassed about a kiss. Who knows, it could be her first kiss,” Declan shrugged his shoulder and Zoey threw him a cold glare.
“Sorry, I was just stating the fact though.”
“By the way. I got a ticket for us,” Declan changed the topic.
“Why? ”
“Have you forgotten? We’ll be watching a movie at the cinema tomorrow, Marry me,” he answered with a short smile.
“Huh, do you like the idea of seeing a movie with me that much?” Zoey raised a brow sarcastically.
“Not a chance. I’ve been longing to see the movie also,” Declan stuck out her tongue.
“Then why do…”
“Hey, what’s that?” Declan interrupted.
“What?” Zoey asked and then look in the direction Declan was looking and then frowned at what she was seeing.
Something was definitely going on.
If not, why would Aiden and Tiffany walk around the school looking so ridiculous?
“What the hell is going on?” Zoey frowned as she stood in their way.
“S… She’s feeling sick. So, I’m taking her away from here,” Aiden answered.
“I don’t believe that,” Zoey shook her head.
“Zoey,” Tiffany called out faintly.
“Is anything wrong, babe?”
“Not at all. I’m fine. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Just let us through for now,” Tiffany said.
“Huh, I’ll follow,” Zoey pouted.
“No!” Aiden and Tiffany chorused.
“Seriously?!” Zoey frowned.
“So unfair!” She hit her feet angrily on the ground and then walked away angrily.
“Huh, latest couple,” Declan scoffed and walked away, following Zoey.
“Did she leave?” Tiffany asked after a few seconds.
“Yes. Don’t worry, she’ll come around. She’s probably worked up that something bad is happening to you. Let’s leave, we’ll talk to her later, okay?”
“Yeah,” Tiffany nodded her head.
~~
Everyone paved the way and stopped to watch Aiden as he walked away with Tiffany.
While some knew it was Tiffany, some couldn’t help but wonder who Aiden was hiding and why.
No one stopped them, no one could. Not even the teachers, since Aiden was involved.
It took a few minutes before they reached where Aiden had packed his power bike earlier in the morning.
At times, he packed it on the school premises, and at times, he packed it outside of the school, and today, he was very glad he had driven his bike to the school.
When they arrived at the main gate where he was going to pass through, the security man was very reluctant in opening the gate for them.
It was against the school protocol to leave the school when school hours weren’t over without a pass given to the students by the teacher.
Even though he was reluctant, he still let them through.
As Aiden got outside the school premises, he ordered the lady to hold him tight and pressed on the gas, driving very fast and almost rough.
Tiffany didn’t fail to hold him tight and even ignored the hoodie that had already fallen from her head.
Huh, now that they were away from the school, what the fûck was going to happen next?
==
Tiffany didn’t open her eyes all through till the bike stopped, she trusted Aiden was going to take her to somewhere safe.
“Anny?” Aiden called out.
She unwrapped her hand from his body slowly, got down from the bike, and then turned to take a good look at the environment she was in.
However, she creased her brow as she failed to recognize where she was. There were at the end of the street and the house that stood there was a magnificent cottage painted white and blue with a low, well wide gate that showed everything that was inside the house. She didn’t fail to notice that the house was covered in adornments. Okay, the house was beautiful, very beautiful.
“Where are we?” She asked Aiden who was looking for whatever from his bag.
“My house,” he answered and then removed a bunch of keys instantly.
“Where is your house?” Tiffany furrowed her brow.
There was no way the dude brought her to where he stays with his parents.
“Would your parents have no problem with me being here?” She asked as she watched him walk towards the gate, opened it with its key, and then pushed it open.
“I live here, alone,” he said and began to stroll towards her.
“But, how…” she bit her lower lips as Aiden stopped in front of her and then placed his hand slowly on her shoulder.
“Go inside,” he said after a good look at her eyes.
Of course, he was still shocked at her eyes.
He was flabbergasted, but he was not going to show it or feel irritated to not make the lady uncomfortable.
“I…”
“Go inside, I’ll drive the bike in,” Aiden moved away from her, walked towards his bike, got on it, and then nodded his head at her to go inside.
Tiffany walked in reluctantly and then waited by the gate for him to drive in which he did almost immediately.
How can this be his house?
Is he lying?
Wait, was there when a reason to lie?
Staring at the space on the other side of the house was a garage with a neatly parked red sport car and then two other power bikes.
There was no way it belonged to him.
“This house was a gift from my mother’s friend on my fifteen years old birthday,” Aiden started as he strolled towards her, he knew the girl was not convinced about this place in one bit.
“Huh?” Tiffany raised her brows.
“I know you’re not convinced about this place,” he stopped in front of her, smiled, and then hold her hand.
“Huh,” Tiffany sighed as she allowed the guy to walk her slowly.
“I moved in when I was sixteen, two years ago after I left the house when I caught my mum in a compromising situation. I told you, right?” He glanced at her then keep his eyes back on the road.
“Yeah,” Tiffany answered.
They got to the door, Aiden let go of her hand, and then entered the passcode of the door which opened automatically.
Well, she had never seen a door with a passcode.
“Here, come in,” he entered first and then ushered him in.
“When I was seventeen, my mum got me that car, I’m sure you saw it. I don’t know how to drive a car. I prefer being on my power bike all day to riding a car. I don’t believe it’s fun,” Aiden laughed, as they both stepped in.
“When I clocked eighteen, mum got me two power bikes at the same time,” he said and they stepped fully into the house.
Tiffany opened her mouth agape at what she was seeing, the house was the most beautiful house she’d ever seen.
Of course, that was going to be the case.
She had no luxury of being in people’s houses.
The walls were painted white, everything was white which made the room so lovely, cozy, and beautiful.
There were different portraits of art in the living room and only a picture caught her attention. Aiden.
The guy smiled widely as he held a bat in his racket costume.
“Declan gifted me that last year, on my eighteenth birthday and I got the last power bike,” he said.
“This place is so… Beautiful,” she said with awe.
“So, come and sit down,” Aiden grabbed her hand and walked her to one of the couches, and made her sit on it.
“What should I offer you? Are you hungry, or thirsty?”
“I’m okay. ”
Of course, there was no way she was going to be hungry now.
“W… Why did you bring me here? Aren’t you even scared that I might hurt you? For all I know, I suddenly turn hideous and… And…” she hiccuped as tears began to drip from her eyes.
“Shh…” Aiden knelt slowly in front of her.
“I don’t care. Even you looked shocked to know that you changed that way. It meant that it has never happened. I don’t care about you hurting me, come on, your eyes only changed, there was no way you could hurt me because of that,” Aiden chuckled.
“Aiden… It doesn’t change the fact that I am strange. It doesn’t change the fact t… That I am a monster. It… It doesn’t change the fact that…” and Aiden leaned forward to kiss her on the lips, interrupting her.
After he broke the kiss, Tiffany swallowed deeply and Aiden laughed at her red ears and cheek.
“You are not strange, you are not a monster, you are unique, you are an angel. You are strong and you are beautiful. You are what makes you. I love you no matter how you look or who you are. I love you and that is what matters. Don’t say anything negative, okay?” He wiped away her tears gently.
“Aiden,” Tiffany burst into another great and leaned forward to hug him.
Aiden smiled and hugged her back, patting her back slowly and humming words of encouragement to her ear gently.
“I love you, okay?” he said.
Tiffany pulled away and nodded her head.
“You can’t cry any longer, your eyes are getting redder,” Aiden cupped her cheeks, staring at her eyes deeply.
“I won’t,” Tiffany nodded her head.
“What do you care for? I know you’re not thinking about food in this situation, but you still gotta eat. I’m sure the shock already drained all of your energy,” Aiden smiled and Tiffany only smiled back.
“I’ll go to the kitchen and make you a very delicious meal. You have no allergies, right?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I do,” she answered.
He clapped his hands together and then turned to leave, ”Switch on the TV to kill boredom, baby.”
Tiffany watched him till he got out of sight and covered her face with her palm.
God, he’s so sweet.
Yeah, I know, but why is this happening?!
===
At the gathering of the Guardians.
“Tiger spirit is returning,” Harengon said as soon as the meeting began.
“That’s good. It has been six hundred years since I’ve last seen her,” Euphoria, the water guardian smiled.
“No way!” The lion spirit shook her head.
“She can’t come,” the mountain guardian bit his lower lips.
“Why?” Euphoria creased his brow.
“We all know how much Tiger spirit loathes Akilang!” Lion spirit snapped.
“So?”
“The child will be in danger if the Tiger spirit finds her. As long as Akilang is trapped inside her, she’ll try to kill her,” Harengon answered.
“Harengon, Tiger spirit can’t come now, please do something!” Chephirah pleaded.
“There’s nothing I can do. She insisted on coming and her authority has been extended to New York. Her aura and everything is back, I can’t tell her to return, you know that,” Harengon said.
“But you can! It is something only you can do,” Benroy protested.
“There’s nothing I can do, instead, you both can just work hard in protecting the girl,” Harengon tilted her head.
“This is unfair. We’re forbidden to kîll any human, why would Tiger spirit want to kill her?” Benroy frowned.
“That girl is not human, as long as Akilang is in her, she’s a demon. A bloodthirsty demon. And I think you both are lagging already,” Harengon nodded her head and then pointed her hand at the empty background behind them.
As they all turned to look in the direction, a scene of Aiden and Tiffany kissing popped up. After the kiss ended, the lady’s eyes turned red.
“See. I’m just loving how this is turning. She ought to have changed completely,” Harengon smirked.
“Her eyes turned red?!” Chephirah exclaimed.
“Yeah, even now as we’re talking, it is still red and the human who caused it stood by her side. Oh, love oh love,” she smirked.
“I bet she’s in shock at the moment,” Chephirah covered her mouth with her palm.
“Go meet her. Let her know what is installed for her, and tell her what she needs to know. It is happening already. If you can, let the human see you. The guy looked like he was going to stand by her side no matter what. Huh, after all, he’s no longer the little boy from back then,” with a mischievous smile, Harengon ordered.
*